Improvement in frobangs, or instruments for treating diseased orifices



@anni utilita GEORGE S.Y LOYELL'AND MARY F. LOVELL, OF PHILADELPHIA,

' PENNSYLVANIA.

Lam Patent Nqfoaoso, dated .my 27, 1869.

- IMPRQVEMEN T IN PROBANGS, 0R INSTRUMENTS `IIF'OR. TREATING- DISESEDRIFICES.

The Schedule referred to n these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom lit ma/ z/ concern Beit known that we, GEORGE S. LovnLL and MARY LOVE-LL, of'the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Probang, or .Instrument for Laving, Purging, and Medically Treating the Ear, Throat,-Nostrils, and other organs and orifices of thehuman system; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description 'of tlie same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification.

A represents the handle,

B, the stem, and

C, an elastic chamber or receptacle; and

l) represents an elastic or flexible bulb of any` suitable material. p v

From the handle A, which may be made of ivory; bone, gutta-percha, wood, or'other suitable material,

rigid enough to sustain the parts, projects the stem B, surmounted by the. bulb D, which may be made of sponge, camels hair, bristles, silk, or other material suii'iciently soft and flexible for the purposes required, iti-being inserted in the flexible chamber orvreceptacle C; and' retained, as will be hereafter more fully explained.-

' Whenever it may be requisite or desirable for the treatment of irregular for other organs, the stem may be made of flexible material, capable of conforming thereto, or mayibe'shapedv to suit .the passage.

The bulb is securedin place by means of an elastic chamber at the end of the sten1,'which receives-'and retains it by means of its contracted mouth.

This'receptacle may be made of greater thickness and less diameter than the lower part or supportingsleeve or collar, so as to contract upon Athe bulb with great tension, when it is therein inserted, and retain it in its position, without the aid of other means, though, if necessary, thel upper part of the handle may -be punctured, for the insertion of fastening-threads, to

hold the bulb' more firmly, or the bulbv may be boundr on the end of the handle, by means of athread wound around the outside, and then covered by thereceptacle.

By sucharrangement, the person using the` instrument can easily detach 'the old bulb, and replace it with a new one, when required.

This mode of securely fastening the bulb to the extreme end of the handle in such way that it cannot bedetached, leaves the bulb free Vto move in all directions, and makes 'it free from the rigid end of the' supporting-handle,wl1ich so often injures tender parts, by being forced or-rubbed against'them.

This instrument is designed for laving and cleansing the ear, throat, nostrils, and other organs and oritlces of the human system, and for removing 'therefrom extraneous matter, and in medical or surgical practice it may be employed with good results, like the ordinary probang. v

In using the instrument, the bulb, which is moistened or saturated with water or other iiuid, conforms itself tothe inner surface of the organ to Whichit is applied, penetrates the interstices, purges the pores, membranes, and other parts of foreign substances, and by reason of its flexibility and elasticity, the instruf ment yields to the pressureA of the hand, and neither injures nor irritates the tympanum, membranes, nor other organism, unlike tweezers, and other metallic or rigid instruments, which are commonly vemployed' for such purposes.

By its operation, the internal surface of the organ is thoroughly laved and purged, Without harm or'ris'k of injury, and through its agency medicated applications may be readily and efficiently made to a diseased or atliictedpart of the internalstructure of the organ.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, iS- y 'lhecombinatiom with the handle A, of the elastic supporting and retaining-cap C, retained thereon by means of the stem B, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth. l

GEORGE Si '-LOVELL; MARY F. LOVELL.V

Witnesses .f F. E. FELTON,

J onN Tiros. 

